6 ALTERNATIVES TO STARBUCKS IN PORTO

A DASH OF IRONY 

Guess what… a new Starbucks franchisee cafe just opened in Porto… yay.. (not...!)

You know, we've all done things in the past that we’re not proud of. Mine include entering Starbucks a few years back in Madrid on a desperate quest for free wi-fi or going for a BigMAc burguer in Vienna. Oh and… those chicken wings at a KFC in London… shame on me…!!  Yes, I have been a lazy tourist, I must admit.​ Against all guidelines of sustainable tourism, I have 'sinned'. Not proud of it though..!! 

 Irony aside now: I totally understand people who go in multinational brand cafes or restaurants while visiting a new city, in search for a familiar meal or quick fix of coffee to fight off those jet lag symptoms. I get it, I really do. But if you payed for an airline ticket to Porto, maybe just landed from an intercontinental flight, you deserve much better. And genuine. For unique local cafes - and a decent espresso or specialty coffee - read on:

LOCAL CAFES FROM THE 20's

1.  MAJESTIC

This one is a classic. Located in Rua de Santa Catarina - our open air shopping center - this bélle epoque cafe kept its elegance throughout the decades and became a touristic hotspot. Despite its age, it has a fairly decent website < check out all the sweet stuff!! To get a table on weekends or even late afternoon on weekdays can be a bit of challenge, though...

Address: Rua Santa Catarina, 112 / Website

​If you find MAJESTIC to be a bit too crowded - it's not a large space and it is mentioned in every tourist guide and blog... - you can walk ( or jog ) 400meters down to the central Aliados avenue and check out Guarany.

2.  GUARANY

Guarany, also from the 20's, has more of an Art Deco look. With a privileged location, facing the most central avenue of Porto, this is a classy café and there are even some local artists and poets who still go there everyday. 

Address: Avenida dos Aliados, 89 / Website

Running past its entrance, as we reach Aliados Avenue, during a running tour.

3. CAFÉ ÂNCORA D'OURO - o 'Piolho'

Literally it means 'golden anchor'. D'ouro is also the name of the nearby river: DOURO. But put together in Portuguese, the two words read 'ancora-d'ouro/ancoradouro', anchorage or port in English.

It's a centenary café (est. 1909!!) that local students call 'o Piolho' and where they go to grab their first afternoon/night's last beer. If you're not into crowds be sure to avoid Thursday evenings - the student's night. During daytime and weekdays, you'll be fine. 

Address: Praça Parada Leitão 45 / Website

Not fancy and not pricey, you'll have a genuine experience and keep a fairly accurate impression of what a local's unpretentious cafe really is all about.

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​THE NEW generation
SPECIALTY COFFEE CAFES

In Portugal most people love their espresso with a strong punch and a bitter taste, always in a small cup. Reason for this is that most coffee imported to Portugal up until the 70's came from Angola, a former Portuguese colony, and it was of the Robusta type, the cheapest kind back then.

Presently, some local cafes turned to specialty coffee, the more expensive, high quality, usually Arabica, roasted, blended and brewed in many different ways.

​Here are some of my present favorite spots to grab a cup of coffee:

4.  MESA 325

In a rather peaceful district (at least for now) it'll take a 10min walk to get there from Jardim de S.Lázaro or 3min if you bike your way there. It was one of the first specialty coffee places to open in Porto, so I think it deserves to be first on this list.

photo (source)

Aiming to making you feel right at home, there's parking space for your bicycle inside and a couple of relaxing chairs at the entrance of MESA 325. 
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Address: Avenida Camilo 325 R/C - 4300-096 Porto, Portugal  /   Facebook

photo (source)

5.  7g ROASTER

For this one, you'll have to cross the river. Embedded within the Port wine district in Gaia, this cafe is a welcoming spot for small groups, digital nomads or an oasis-like view for tourists in need of a strong coffee between wine tastings...!!

Address: R. França 26, Vila Nova de Gaia / Facebook

​Running past the entrance of 7g Roaster cafe's pateo during one of our running tours.

If you go there after 10a.m. you can see how David Coelho handles the oven where they roast their own green coffee beans, purchased directly  from local farmers on source countries.
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Btw: they use premium Arabica coffee beans from coffea plants that grow above 1200m of altitude!

​6.  BOP CAFÉ

Last on the list, BOP Café. The owner took inspiration from a cafe in Tokyo and it has a bit of that American feel, even on the food menu. Maybe you can check its facebook page in advance and see what I mean. But the feature that won me over is were those individual listening 'cabins' with vinyl record turntables and a rather eclectic selection of records to borrow ...!

photo: source

Address: Rua da Firmeza 575 / Facebook

Photo: source

Talk about feeling at home: you can borrow a vinyl record from their extensive collection and just listen to it while sipping on your favorite specialty coffee.

photo: source

And that's it. 

​Now, if you understand a few words of Portuguese, this article on a November edition of magazine Evasões lists a few other trendy & old school cafes in Porto, all valid motives to skip going to the recently opened Starbucks.

Please? ;-)